Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, is indisputably tending towards a episodic or cyclical political limbo as such that if a very drastic action is not taking to curtain the brouhaha it may degenerate to a state of limbo. Prior to the just concluded Local Government Elections held on Saturday, 5th of of October in the South-South State, there have been series of court judgement and counter judgement as to who owned what, did what, where, when and how? The back and forth political conundrum is apparently becoming laborious and tensed. With supporters of the two political gladiators in…

By: Chidalu Glory The alarming rate of femicide in Nigeria is becoming worrisome. Nigeria is one of the African countries with a high rate of GBV and rising cases of femicide. According to a report by the United Nations, in 2022, a total number of 89,000 women and girls were killed globally, while 401 women died from SGBV in Nigeria. The Nigeria Bureau of Statistics 2019 survey showed that 68% of Nigerian women have experienced sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. 1 out of 3 women globally (736 million) have been subjected to physical or sexual violence at least once in…

The Ogun State Government, has issued a strong warning to union members in the Mowe-Ibafo axis, instructing them to desist from imposing multiple levies on commercial mini-bus drivers, popularly known as Korope. This warning comes in response to a peaceful protest staged by aggrieved drivers on Tuesday, September 24, over issues of multiple ticketing, vehicle vandalisation, and the illegal collection of marker fees. The Commissioner for Transportation, Engr. Dairo Olugbenga, expressed the government’s displeasure at the illegal collections during a recent media briefing. He noted that these acts have compounded the hardships faced by the mini-bus drivers, who are already…

Daud Olatunji Sixteen state governments, including Kogi, Ogun, and Oyo, have called for the dismantling of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), challenging the constitutionality of its establishment. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court fixed October 22 for the hearing of a suit originally filed by the Kogi State Government, questioning the legal foundation of the EFCC and two other federal agencies. The case, marked SC/CV/178/2023, has since attracted the backing of 15 additional states, such as Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, Plateau, Cross-River, and Niger, which  claimed  that the establishment of…

A civic organization, Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN), has called for an urgent probe into the operations of Guaranty Trust Bank Limited (GTBank), accusing the financial institution of engaging in widespread fraud, financial irregularities, and other unethical practices. The protest, which took place on Tuesday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, sought to alert lawmakers to the growing concerns about the bank’s alleged involvement in money laundering, forex manipulation, and unsolicited account activities. Leading the protest, GICN’s Director of Publicity and Mobilization, Ambassador Adebayo Lion Ogorry, revealed that the group’s private investigations had uncovered multiple instances of financial misconduct…

The National Human Rights Commission received 305,300 human rights violations cases in September across the country. According to figures released in the September dashboard report on human rights violations, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Anthony Ojukwu, SAN, expressed concern over the spike in the number of cases. Mr Ojukwu was represented at the event by the Director of Legal Services and Enforcement of the commission, Rabi Anwar. He said, “Today, we will examine data for September, which includes 305,300 complaints. As we explore the data, let us not lose sight of the human stories behind these numbers. Each complaint…

Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals Company Limited, has stressed the urgent need for Nigeria to enhance its crude oil production capacity and optimize domestic crude supply in order to transition from a net importer to a net exporter of petroleum products. He made this call during his keynote address at the summit of the Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria (CORAN), held in Lagos. The event gathered key stakeholders from Nigeria’s midstream and downstream sectors, as well as top government officials. In his speech, Dangote highlighted Nigeria’s untapped potential to lead Africa’s petroleum industry. Despite producing…

A boat accident at Imore town in the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State has claimed the lives of at least 21 people, leaving 11 others with injuries. The tragic incident occurred when two passenger boats collided in the middle of the lagoon, capsizing both vessels. The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident in a press statement. He revealed that the two boats, each carrying 16 passengers, crashed while traveling on the lagoon, leading to the fatal capsizing. The police received a distress call about the accident around 7 pm, prompting an immediate…

By Idris Katib The best graduating student, class of 2024, at Crescent University Abeokuta, Daniel Oyeniyi has applauded religious tolerance of the institution, stressing that he was never forced to go to the mosque. Oyeniyi will be collecting, among others, the vice chancellor’s prize for the best graduating student at the 16th Convocation of the institution which prides itself as citadel of academic and moral excellence. Emphasizing religious tolerance of the institution, Oyeniyi said “it’s something I do say every time that there’s no case of religious segregation in Crescent University and they don’t force you to go to…

Daud Olatunji Ahead of the upcoming local government elections in Ogun State, scheduled for November 19, 2024, the Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), Babatunde Osibodu, is facing potential legal repercussions over the controversial imposition of administrative fees totaling N727,200,000. The fees, which include N250,000 for chairmanship candidates and N150,000 for councillorship candidates, have sparked significant protests and raised questions about their legality. PLATFORM TIMES reports that Osibodu’s decision could lead to contempt of court charges, as it directly contradicts a judicial ruling from 2004 that prohibits such levies by the commission. The crux of the matter lies…